1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an earphone contact support. More particularly, the present invention relates to an earphone system, an earphone device, and a portable terminal for supporting the same, in which an element that recognizes an earphone contact is disposed in at least one of an earphone device and a portable terminal, thereby normally supporting an audio signal process even if an abnormality is partially generated in the earphone device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable terminals have been more widely used due to their mobility. Mobile communication terminals, which allow users to perform a voice communication wirelessly and/or while moving, have been very popular. On the other hand, the mobile communication terminals have various functions as well as an important function for transmission and reception of communication information between users. For example, the related-art portable terminals have a digital audio function corresponding to a music file reproduction function, and an image collection function corresponding to a digital camera. Furthermore, the related-art portable terminals have supported a function for execution of mobile games, arcade games, and the like.
On the other hand, related-art portable terminals have provided an earphone system for allowing a user to listen to audio signal reproduced by the related-art mobile terminal more conveniently and which prevents a user from causing inconvenience to other people during audio reproduction, or allows the user to enjoy listening to audio alone. Accordingly, the user may listen to music or watch TV using an earphone system, regardless of a time and a place. Here, the related-art earphone system of a portable terminal detects a connection of an earphone on the condition that a head of an earphone device comes in electrical contact with an earphone contact interface of the portable terminal. In the related-art earphone system, the portable terminal detects an electrical change caused by a connection of a structure of the earphone device to an earphone contact interface when the earphone device is inserted in the earphone contact interface of the portable terminal.
However, the related-art earphone system may have difficulty in supporting a normal function of the earphone device because of abnormalities generated in a certain portion of the earphone device may prevent suitable detection of the electrical change. Where the earphone device has employed a pair of ear-speakers, which respectively have a predetermined size and weight and are respectively connected to each end of narrow and long wires, the corresponding structures of the earphone device is physically weak in comparison with other structures, for example, a head, a control module, and the like. Accordingly, when an abnormality, such as a short-circuit, is generated in the ear-speakers, the portable terminal may not perform a normal function of detecting an electrical change between the corresponding ear-speakers and the earphone contact interface to recognize the connection of the earphone device. The short circuit of the ear-speakers may be generated in various environments in which the earphone is used, regardless of a shape of the earphone device. This problem may prevent a user from using the corresponding earphone device even though other parts of the earphone device may be used, regardless of the generation of abnormality in a part of the earphone device. This problem lays a burden on the user in view of cost because a price of an earphone device gradually increases as users desire to listen to more high quality audio by using more high quality earphone devices.
Further, a user may wear and use only one certain ear-speaker of two ear-speakers in order to keep listening to or pay attention to a surrounding environment while listening to audio. In this case, the ear-speaker that is not worn and/or used may be subjected to impact from other matters around the user easily, resulting in frequent malfunctions of the ear-speakers. If the ear-speaker that is not worn is an important structure necessary for identification of the corresponding earphone device, then the corresponding ear-speaker may not be used and also the earphone device may not be used. Therefore, there is a problem in that a user may not use the earphone device itself as the user may not use a failed ear-speaker.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.